Pompeii and the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79
Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, burying Pompeii and devastating other communities around the Bay of Naples.
2:27 · Episode film
AI-generated historical dramatization.
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A guide to Vesuvius’s AD 79 eruption: Pompeii’s destruction, Pliny’s eyewitness letters, escape, volcanic hazards, the casts and the disputed eruption date.
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The Bay of Naples, AD 79. Vesuvius erupts, sending a towering cloud into the sky. At Pompeii, pumice and ash rain onto roofs and streets. Some inhabitants leave; others seek shelter as buildings begin to collapse. Across the bay, Pliny the Elder takes ships toward the disaster to help people escape. Earthquakes and darkness spread the terror. Deadly currents of volcanic material sweep through the surrounding settlements, burying lives and homes. Pompeii vanishes beneath the eruption. Centuries later, its streets and buildings will reveal the daily world that the catastrophe overwhelmed.
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